


My Heart Going Boom Boom Boom

by tacomuerte



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, F/F, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, so many pairings...
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-18 09:37:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5923551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tacomuerte/pseuds/tacomuerte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Bellas have watched Beca and Chloe dance around their feelings for each other for four years. Now after winning the World A Capella Championship, everyone is getting ready to move on with their lives. There are only a few weeks left for the two girls to admit their feelings to each other. It might be time to give fate a gentle nudge—Bella Style.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Touchy Subject

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first work in this fandom! This is one of my favorite pairings in any media. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> It might be slow going for updates. I have a severe(ish) injury that takes me out of commission often. But I will keep plugging away! Promise!
> 
> Title from Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" which is a wonderful song about that terrifying moment when you're standing at a crossroads in life and you decide to make that leap of faith.
> 
> Edited by the always awesome asimaiyat!

Beca Mitchell’s off-the-charts amazing day had transformed into a complete nightmare in under six hours. On the positive side, she and the Bellas had put those smug DSM jerkfaces in their place en route to winning the World Championship of A Capella. Also she and the girls had gotten to perform with pretty much every Bella who could be located that could make it to Copenhagen. It was a bit surreal and very awesome.

Yeah, the positive side was pretty great. The negative side sucked donkey balls, though, with Jesse dumping Beca after a huge fight when they were supposed to be celebrating the Bellas’ victory. Also, she now had the pleasure of walking the streets of Copenhagen sometime after three in the morning during what was either a downpour or a deluge. Beca hadn’t decided which descriptor was more accurate—probably because every inch of her was soaked… oh and not to mention freezing despite the fact it was theoretically summer. So yeah. Six hours. It had to be some sort of record for her.

But hey, there was a bright side! She still had several blocks to go until she made it back to the hotel where she and the Bellas were staying assuming she hadn’t become lost in the dark and the rain. Yay. 

Wait, that was the opposite of a bright side. Boo.

She regretted not for the first time post-dumping and likely not for the last either that she hadn’t wanted to wait around in the lobby of Jesse’s hotel for a cab. No, a quick exit had seemed preferable because what was so bad about tromping around Copenhagen in the stupid rain? Turned out a lot actually. She had even turned down the offer of an umbrella from the concierge as she went out the door. It was only a short two-mile jaunt. She was tough. She could take care of herself. Who needed an umbrella? Hint: Tiny brunette DJ’s walking in the rain in a strange city on a continent they had never set foot on until three days ago. That’s who. The dark and annoying thought that one Beca Mitchell might have a problem when it comes to stubborn pride crossed her mind, and she could hear an imaginary Aubrey Posen in her head cackling with delight at the admission. 

Beca could feel the chill seeping into her bones, and considered the possibility she might catch pneumonia, which would just seal the deal on this horrible day. She sighed and continued trudging towards her hotel. Once upon a time, she would have been furious right now, admittedly as a defense mechanism so she wouldn’t have to face how badly she herself had screwed up, but somehow maturity had snuck up on her these past few years. She blamed the Bellas what with all their insidious friendship and caring and all that garbage, and she especially held Chloe and Aubrey responsible as the two she had become closest to. There was no venom in her thoughts, though. Beca couldn’t find it in herself to be angry at Jesse or the Bellas for the current situation. If anything, she felt this was probably better than she deserved. At least it wasn’t physically possible for her to get any wetter.

Instead of dwelling on how wet and cold and miserable she was, Beca decided to take the much healthier option of dwelling on what a gigantic screw-up she was when it came to relationships. Her relationship with Jesse… if what they had the past year could even be called that, considering how little they saw each other… was over. What frustrated Beca wasn’t only that it had just ended in a stupid explosion of drama (her fault totally) but that she could hear her own voice echoing in her head telling Chloe a couple months back to sack up and graduate. Beca felt like the biggest hypocrite in the world. If anyone needed to sack up and deal with a situation they had let linger far too long, it was her. She liked Jesse. She cared deeply about Jesse. She loved Jesse. But she wasn’t  **in love** with Jesse… and she never had been really. 

That wasn’t something she would have ever admitted out loud, not even when she was alone in her own room with the door locked and her music on full blast. The best kept secret was one that was never shared or spoken or especially written down. Oh yeah, and she also hated herself for sounding like a stupid cliché for even considering there might be a difference between “love” and “in love.” The suckiest part was how much affection she still felt for Jesse even after tonight’s explosion of stupid. Beca had been prepared to spend as much of her life with him as he would allow because for some reason beyond her comprehension, he was in love with her… or at least  **had been** in love with her. She figured she could safely say that was in the past.

She stopped under the awning marking the entrance to the Bellas’ hotel to run her hand through her sopping hair and to try to shake her bad mood. She didn’t succeed on either count, but she felt she owed the hotel staff at least some sort of effort before she made a wet mess of the lobby, the elevator, and any hallway unfortunate enough to encounter her. The horror on the concierge’s face as she walked in confirmed how awful she looked. Beca imagined the Bellas would share similar looks soon enough. Beca was rooming with Emily, and there wasn’t any way Emily wasn’t going to blab to the rest at the first opportunity.

Beca gave the poor desk clerk a sheepish smile by way of an apology, and he hurried to get her a towel although she didn’t think it would do much good. She stood there dripping and shivering in the air-conditioned lobby, feeling what little energy she still possessed draining away rapidly until he returned. To his credit, he didn’t toss her out in the street, but did his best to appear like this was somehow an everyday occurrence.

She resolved to tip well when the Bellas checked out. Unfortunately for her, the girls had booked the hotel for an extra day after the competition so they could hang out one last time and see the sights. That had been a great idea right up until about an hour ago. Now because she couldn’t keep her big mouth shut with Jesse, she was a wreck and might ruin what should have been an upcoming day of celebration for all the Bellas.

With a harsh sigh, Beca gave up on drying herself off. The towel was soaked through, and she felt as wet as when she started. The concierge took the towel back with a sympathetic half-smile, and Beca sloshed her way to the elevator, her Chucks squeaking with every step.

It wasn’t until she got to the door of her and Emily’s room that Beca remembered Benji. Sweet, caring Benji—Jesse’s best friend and roommate at Barden—who was visiting Emily to give Beca and Jesse some couple-time to celebrate the Bellas’ victory. Benji having a de facto sleepover with Emily had caused a great deal of debate among the Bellas, all of whom were somewhat protective of their youngest member. Emily, for her part, had been annoyed (and then furious as the argument dragged on) at the notion that she needed a chaperone. She had insisted that she was perfectly capable of keeping her clothes on since she wasn’t ready for “sexy times” as she called it, and even if she was ready, it was her business. Plus her mother was a few doors down and ew. Her final argument, recalling many events demonstrating how wild the other Bellas were at parties, was both effective and embarrassing, and Beca and the rest had reluctantly caved.

Now, Beca was faced with the probably remote but very real possibility that she was about to interrupt the “sexy times” Emily had insisted wouldn’t be happening because teenagers. That would just cap the night off perfectly. She was pretty sure her psyche wouldn’t survive, and she would just have to move to Tibet and become a hermit. 

Her only other option was to go to Chloe’s room instead. Originally, Beca was going to be sharing a room with Chloe, since the redhead was the only Bella—scratch that—the only person alive or dead guaranteed not to risk setting off an explosion of temper from the prickly Bella captain who liked her sleeping arrangements just so, but in a moment of now ill-advised magnanimity, Beca had insisted Aubrey stay with Chloe so that the two longtime friends could catch up and do pedicures while gossiping about boys or some junk. Moving to Tibet seemed a much better option than waking up an exhausted Aubrey Posen even if it meant mental scarring from Emily’s “sexy times.” Probably. Maybe. Christ.

After a few moments shivering and staring at the door, Beca sighed, closed her eyes, and knocked. She could immediately hear muffled voices on the other side. They didn’t sound panicked indicating they probably weren’t doing… things. That was a relief. A small one, but Beca was willing to take any sort of victory at this point.

The door opened revealing a fully-clothed and obviously very surprised Emily Junk. An equally surprised Benji Applebaum—also thankfully fully-clothed—sat on the bed with a deck of cards. At least one thing hadn’t veered towards disastrous tonight.

“Um… Beca,” Emily began nervously. “Are you okay?”

“No,” Beca croaked. Her voice might have been strained from shouting for more than an hour, and then walking a couple of miles in cold rain. She wasn’t up to caring at the moment if she appeared alright or not.

“Oh.” Emily didn’t seem to know what to do, so she just stood in the doorway looking lost.

Beca gestured waving back and forth. “Mind if I come in? To  **our** room?” She loved the kid but god she could be frustrating.

“Oh!” Emily jumped out of the way. “No! It’s like your room, too, definitely! Yeah…”

Beca walked into the room without further response, squishing as she went. She stopped after passing Emily, giving the younger Bella a chance to close the door and then go sit by Benji. Beca focused on controlling her shivering. 

She failed as Emily, however, immediately noticed. “Beca, you’re freezing. Maybe you should take a hot shower?”

Beca nodded but didn’t move from the spot where she stood dripping. It was as if she had lost the will to move on her own now that she had reached her destination.

Benji looked up from the bed where he was slipping on his shoes. “Beca? Are you okay?”

She had forgotten the Treble was still in the room. She shook her head. She found that she suddenly didn’t trust herself to talk or she might end up crying, which would be the crap cherry on top of the crap sundae this trip had turned into. Maturity and not lashing out at everyone around her kinda sucked.

“Is Jesse okay?” he asked.

Beca hesitated before shaking her head no. “Broke up,” she said, voice barely above a whisper.

“Oh,” Emily and Benji said simultaneously. They each looked vaguely panicky.

When Beca didn’t respond, Benji stood up and turned to Emily giving her a hug.

“Um, I should go.” He obviously wanted to check on Jesse. Benji was a good guy. Beca was glad Jesse had Benji.

Emily nodded. “I’ll take you downstairs, and we’ll call you a cab, okay?”

That was smart. Only a moron would walk anywhere in this weather.

Benji smiled nervously at Emily and said, “Sure. You’ll take care of Beca?”

See? Good guy.

“Yeah,” Emily said, and they both looked over to Beca who just stood there soaked and staring into space.

Emily walked over to Beca, put a hand on her shoulder, and gave a slight squeeze startling the smaller brunette. 

“Huh?” Beca said, reflexively pulling back from the contact.

“Go take those wet clothes off and get in the shower, Beca,” Emily stated firmly. Generally, she defered to Beca, but this qualified as an emergency. 

Beca thought It was nice to see the younger Bella take charge. That would be good with the new recruits next year.

Beca turned her head in the direction of the bathroom contemplating. Her basic plan had been to collapse face first on her bed and let Emily and Benji talk or whatever while she just tried to sleep no matter how wet she might be, but Emily was right. Beca gave in with a nod and shuffled into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. She heard Emily and Benji leave as the room door shut behind them. 

Beca sniffled barely holding back tears. Nope. She wasn’t going to be That Girl after a breakup. No crying. No wallowing. Beca quickly undressed and got into the shower, turning the water temperature to near scalding.

She lost track of time, but had enough mental energy to turn the water off after she felt her body temperature recover. Beca stepped out of the shower and started to dry off but stopped when she saw her reflection in the foggy mirror.

She looked like shit with remnants of her black eyeliner running down her pale face and purple circles under heavy-lidded eyes. Like the day she came home from school to find her mom crying and holding a note from Beca’s dad telling them he was fucking off to the other side of the country with another woman. Not that Beca had any room to judge on that count any longer. She had just ripped the heart out of a boy whose only mistake was falling in love with her when she was in love with someone else since before she had even kissed him that first time at the ICCA finals. She had settled for Jesse… No, she had  **used** Jesse the same way her dad had used Beca’s mother. He had strung Beca’s mom along until he just couldn’t be bothered to pretend any longer, and then he had dropped Beca and her mother like so much trash. And she had been going down that same path with Jesse, but at least Jesse was lucky enough to get out before they made a life together, right? No kids or anything to completely fuck up.

A half-hiccup, half-laugh escaped her, and suddenly Beca felt her eyes burning. She was not going to cry. She was a hardass DJ and soon-to-be music producer. She was tough. She was ice cold. She was… she was… she was not the angry, sullen girl she used to be, and she wasn’t going to be able to hold back the tears, and she hated herself for it. She sank to the floor, tears flowing freely now bracketed by harsh, hiccuping sobs. Honestly, she was surprised she had managed to last long enough to cry in the privacy of her hotel bathroom even though she was sure Emily must have returned by now.

The door to the bathroom opened, and Beca cursed herself mentally for forgetting to lock it, but it wasn’t Emily standing there. It was Chloe. Emily must have gotten her. 

Beca’s first thought was that Chloe looked cute in her purple fleece pajamas. Her second thought was this was a stupid time to think the first thought, and her tears intensified despite a futile attempt on her part to will them to stop. Chloe Beale was both the first person and the last person she wanted to see. If anyone could keep Beca Mitchell from completely falling apart, it was Chloe Beale. If anyone deserved a lot better than having to keep Beca Mitchell from completely falling apart, it was Chloe Beale.

For the briefest moment, Chloe stood in the doorway, framed in the steam escaping the bathroom, her bright, blue eyes shining with concern for her best friend. Beca could hear Emily’s scandalized squeak from the main room followed by a voice that could only belong to Aubrey Posen, telling Legacy to shut up and quit being a prude.

Chloe shut the door behind her and was sitting beside Beca in an instant, taking the towel and drying Beca’s hair while making comforting shushing noises. Beca sank into her best friend, crying on her shoulder. She couldn’t even muster up enough dignity to be embarrassed either by her nudity or her crying, and honestly the only person she was comfortable with in either state was with the redhead now holding her.

Beca wasn’t sure how long it took for Chloe to get her somewhat dry and into a bathrobe, but she finally did, and then Chloe led her to the bedroom quietly, whispering small, comforting words Beca didn’t even register.

Aubrey and Emily each sat on a bed, their eyes glued to Beca, who desperately wanted to stop crying but couldn’t grab onto enough self-control to stop.

Aubrey stood to allow Chloe to sit Beca on the bed. Chloe sat with her hugging her tightly, which was probably the only thing keeping Beca from falling over like a gibbering mess.

“You broke up with Jesse?” Aubrey asked, her voice cold and angry.

Of course she knew. Why else would she and Chloe be here instead of sleeping? Beca nodded, not trusting herself to speak. The last thing she needed on top of the crying and the hiccuping was to start wailing like an idiot.

Aubrey let loose with what the others could only describe as a feral snarl. “I’ll destroy him.”

Beca shook her head fiercely. “My fault,” she managed to choke out.

Aubrey sat on the opposite side of Beca from Chloe. “I don’t care,” she said quietly. “You’re a Bella. You’re my friend. He hurt you. That means he gets destroyed.” She spoke with a conviction that simultaneously awed and terrified Beca.

Beca was grateful to have people who cared this much about her after a childhood filled with distant, angry, disappointed parents and a few casual acquaintances instead of close friends. In other circumstances, she would be touched seeing how far she and Aubrey had come over the years, so while she appreciated the sentiment, she didn’t want Aubrey in a European prison cell charged with assault. She kept shaking her head no although she couldn’t manage to get out any words through the tears and the snot—which  **gross** by the way—and the stupid, stupid hiccups.

“Aubrey,” Chloe said with a firm authority she rarely used. Her tone immediately silenced her blonde friend who had been protesting about honor and friendship and crushing one’s enemies. “That’s enough. Take Emily to our room. I’ll stay with Beca.”

Aubrey sighed and then to Beca’s surprise, she leaned into Beca and hugged her tightly. For a brief instant, Beca stiffened, but then fell into the hug, knowing how rare it was for Aubrey to initiate any kind of close contact. It was a sentiment Beca understood on a genetic level.

Aubrey broke the embrace and stood. “I know you don’t like hugging,” she said giving Beca a nervous smile. “And I find that sensible, but…” she paused and cleared her throat. “But I just need you to know I’m on your side. Completely. I don’t care about irrelevant things like ‘fault.’” 

Beca nodded and sniffed. “Thanks,” she said quietly. She reached out taking Aubrey’s hand giving it a quick squeeze.

Aubrey nodded. “Come along, Emily.”

Legacy leapt to her feet and followed Aubrey out the door telling Beca she hoped she felt better and that she loved her.

The door shut leaving Beca and Chloe alone. Chloe gave Beca a reassuring squeeze, but Beca’s heart felt like it was in a vice. She was terrified that Chloe would pressure her to talk about what had happened, and she just couldn’t. She never wanted to talk about it with anyone, especially Chloe. Most especially  **never** Chloe. She could never know what had happened tonight between Beca and Jesse. Beca was already humiliated and felt panic rising in her throat.

Chloe must have sensed her distress because she pressed a kiss to Beca’s ear.

“You don’t have to talk if it’s too hard, Becs,” Chloe whispered to her.

Beca gave a shuddering, ragged sigh in relief. Chloe wouldn’t push her. Now if only the hiccups would cooperate and go away.

“Do you want to sleep?” Chloe asked gently.

Beca nodded, and Chloe got her under the blanket with Beca still wearing her bathrobe, and then Chloe crawled in beside Beca to spoon the smaller brunette. Chloe held her, stroking her hair while she cried herself out and sank into a fitful sleep.

The next thing Beca was aware of was soft sunlight coming through the window, and a still-asleep Chloe holding her close. Beca lay there enjoying the feeling of the redhead’s arm around her and listening to the soft rhythms of Chloe’s breathing. She smiled recalling the day four years ago when she realized she had feelings for Chloe Beale, a capella teammate and erstwhile invader of showers. Beca knew she should get out of bed and find a bit of distance until she could be sure her raw emotions were under control. But the effort required to get up seemed too great, so she drifted in a haze, remembering that warm, Autumn day in a half-dream.

It had been a few weeks into Beca’s time with the Bellas during her freshman year, and they had just finished singing—well, some poor attempt at singing at least—at some frat house. Beca couldn’t even remember which one now. The performance had been a fiasco if one wanted to describe it charitably, and Aubrey Posen was not a charitable woman. In fact, she looked ready to give up the Bellas as a blood sacrifice if provoked. She was even furiously berating Chloe on the way out, the one Bella always on Aubrey’s side and always giving it her all. That was when Chloe had visibly gathered herself and admitted she had vocal nodes, which out of all the girls only Aubrey really understood. Chloe was scared. That much was obvious, but no one other than Chloe and Aubrey thought nodes were  **that** major a concern.

And Beca… didn’t care. Like at all. She had put up with weeks of Chloe putting her hands all over her trying to get her to grasp choreography that Beca simply didn’t want to learn on top of putting up with weeks of Aubrey acting like a complete psycho drill sergeant, and piled on that was the fact it was all Beca’s stupid dad’s fault for forcing her to go to college and then blackmailing her into joining a stupid a capella group. And now a stupid, handsy girl was afraid and on the verge of tears (which infuriated Beca because crying? Ugh.) over the fact that she might lose her ability to hit a high note? It was just too much. Beca nodded at the right times and made what she hoped passed for sympathetic noises, and then she got the hell out of there.

Beca’s day did not improve. She jammed her finger in the door of her dorm room trying to get her key out of the lock, and Kimmy Jin was as sympathetic as always, which was to say not at all. She just laughed at the White girl. Beca’s finger hurt so badly that she wasn’t able to mix properly, and it was upsetting and frustrating. As she sat there feeling sorry for herself, her thoughts turned to Chloe, a girl who loved singing the way Beca loved mixing. Staring at her wounded finger, everything clicked for Beca. Chloe faced a real possibility of losing some of her ability to sing or as a worst-case scenario to not be able to ever properly sing again. Beca felt a chill go down her spine. She couldn’t imagine what she would do if she lost her ability to make music, and she felt like a complete shit for how callous she had been that afternoon towards a girl—who despite having serious and annoying boundary issues—had shown nothing but belief in Beca, and who had only tried to help Beca at every turn. 

If Beca’s day was crappy, her night was even worse. After being unable to mix because of her stupid hurt finger distracting her, Beca decided to go to bed where she tossed and turned for hours trying and failing to convince herself that Chloe would definitely be okay and that vocal nodes truly weren’t worth this much worrying before she finally dozed off. Sleep turned out not to be a great idea either since all that accomplished was Beca having alternating nightmares where in the first her hands had been cut off by a vengeful Kimmy Jin, and in the second nightmare Beca desperately tried and failed to comfort a mute, weeping Chloe. Beca woke up with a strangled cry, and Kimmy Jin told her to be quiet or there would be consequences.

Needless to say, she didn’t sleep again that night. As early morning light peeked through her dorm window, Beca decided she had to make things right. Over the course of the semester, she had seen Chloe sitting on the quad eating lunch as Beca went to math class, so instead of going to a boring lecture guaranteed to make her regret all her life choices, she veered onto the quad and sat down beside Chloe, surprising the other girl. Beca purposefully put herself in that close zone of friendly personal space she generally avoided since it didn’t feel right to try to make amends and hold a person at a distance. 

“Hey,” Beca said as she sat down beside her. Immediately the apology she’d been planning all morning flew out of her head, because for whatever dumb reason her brain decided it should flash to an image of Chloe’s bright blue eyes and bare shoulders and… well… bare everything as she stood grinning in Beca’s shower a few weeks ago. Beca began mentally berating herself, because really? Starting a conversation with a single-syllable greeting and then getting flustered and totally blanking was hardly smooth, but it was oh so very Beca. She was lousy at things like this. But she had to at least try and apologize for being such an emotionally shut-down jackass.

“Hi,” Chloe responded with a small smile. 

The two girls sat there in what Beca couldn’t even begin to pretend might be described as a comfortable silence while she kept going through apology scenarios in her head before discarding them as lame or insensitive or even outright hostile. She couldn’t believe she had already managed to screw this up before even getting started. Maybe she should give up and go try to make a mix or something for Chloe to show how sorry she was… 

Chloe’s confusion was apparent as she spoke. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Beca replied, but then shook her head. “No, not really. Can we talk?”

Chloe nodded and resumed smiling at her. Beca liked her smile. It was always genuine. 

“Sure, want me to walk you to class?” Chloe asked as she started to reach for her lunch to put it away, but Beca stopped her by putting her hand on top of Chloe’s. It… wasn’t too bad. The touching that is. With Chloe at least. Touching wasn’t something Beca liked much… or at all really, but over the weeks, she had to admit she had gotten a bit used to Chloe’s touch. Sort of. Not in a shower naked with each other every day type of way, but in a hey maybe we’re cool being like friends type of way. Also, Beca wondered why for the second time since she had started this apology attempt, she had thought about showering with Chloe because what even?

“No, I’m skipping. It’s just math,” Beca said taking her hand back gently and slowly while banishing any and all thoughts of showers from her head. She didn’t want to appear like she was yanking her hand away. That would send another stupid, wrong message like she always did when she tried actually connecting with another living being.

“Okay,” Chloe said and Beca could plainly hear how tentative the redhead sounded. “Actually, Beca, there’s something I want to talk to you about, too.”

“Oh?” Beca was surprised.

Chloe nodded. “I know you’re not comfortable being close to other people physically like this,” the redhead said gesturing to the small space between the two girls. “And I want to apologize. I’ve tried to keep it brief when I direct you in practice, but I can see how uncomfortable you are being touched, and it doesn’t look like it’s getting easier for you.” Chloe paused humming while trying to figure out how to proceed. Beca was too stunned to interrupt. She hadn’t been prepared to be the one  **getting** an apology.

“If it would help, I could get one of the other girls to assist you, maybe Stacie. She’s good with choreography. I mean… if it’s me that’s making you feel uncomfortable, because of the shower thing, I get it, and I can see that freaked you out. I shouldn’t have done that. I  **really** shouldn’t have done that,” Chloe stopped to clear her throat and continued. “Or if touching in general is just too much maybe we can find a way where I don’t have to touch you at all to help you get the steps down.”

Beca felt a strange twinge of sadness that Chloe regretted barging into her shower and wasn’t sure how to deal with that, so she settled for a stern frown. 

“No!” she exclaimed louder than she intended and immediately blushed. “I mean… no, dude. It’s not your fault I’m a weirdo.”

Chloe chuckled. “You’re not weird. Lots of people don’t like being touched,” she finished with a shrug.

“It would be harder to get used to someone else,” Beca insisted. 

Chloe nodded. “Okay. If you’re sure?”

Beca was mad at herself thinking how that sounded like she was barely tolerating Chloe or something. “Ugh,” she said. “That came out wrong. Just… hold on while I figure out how to say it?”

Chloe nodded again and sat quietly.

After a couple of minutes fidgeting with her hands, tapping out rhythms on her knee trying to sort her thoughts, Beca took a deep breath and tried again.

“I’m good if all I have to do is come up with a smartass remark,” Beca finally said. “I mean my instinct you know is to make a joke asking why you’re into respecting personal space  **after** jumping into my shower naked because yeah y’know I was surprised and all, but it’s not like the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.” Beca paused as she was getting into murky dangerous territory with her rambling. “I mean… um… I’m over it, okay? We’re cool.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath hoping against all odds she might get a coherent sentence out that didn’t sound like she was trying to talk Chloe into getting back in a shower with her because evidently it had made more of an impression on Beca than she had initially realized or liked.

“Okay, what I’m trying to say is I’m not so good if I’m trying to be… genuine.” She finished emphasizing the last word by waving her hands. She sighed. “You must think I’m an idiot.”

“No,” Chloe said with a smile. “I think you’re brilliant. I’ve heard you sing, and you’ve let me hear your mixes. You are so much more talented than any of the rest of us. I’m not exaggerating when I say the sky’s the limit for you.”

Beca didn’t really want Chloe complimenting her right then. Somehow this conversation was already out of her control, and to top it off, the girl complimenting her and telling her how much talent she had was the girl who was facing a potential future with permanently damaged vocal cords. It struck Beca that she had no idea how to be as brave as Chloe. 

She looked at the redhead sitting there with nothing but concern for Beca who had returned the favor by being so dismissive of Chloe losing her singing voice the day before. All Chloe cared about was making sure Beca was comfortable and hadn’t felt pressured into being touched. No one had ever cared about Beca’s comfort. They just wanted her to adjust to make  **them** more comfortable with touching or watching movies or whatever. 

But not Chloe. 

Chloe just cared about Beca and what she needed, and Beca looked at Chloe sitting there with her beautiful eyes radiating comfort and love, and Beca felt her heart tearing in two. She wasn’t sure what to call this feeling precisely, but she felt an overwhelming surge of affection for the sweet, beautiful, kind girl beside her. It would be hours later before it occurred to Beca that she might want to consider why it was that how stunningly pretty Chloe was happened to be one of the first things she always thought about when she considered the redhead.

“No,” Beca finally answered. “I’m a complete jerk.”

“What?” Chloe asked confused.

“Yesterday. I… um… acted like a complete jerk. You’ve got these node things, and it’s serious. I shouldn’t be so whatever about it like I was, and I’m sorry.”

“Beca,” Chloe said taking Beca’s hand—and Beca was proud she didn’t pull away from Chloe—before continuing, “I…” Chloe paused as the fingers of her free hand unconsciously drifted towards her throat which was obviously hurting, and Beca felt panic on Chloe’s behalf. At that moment, Beca would have gladly let Kimmy Jin take her hands if it meant Chloe could keep her voice and just stop hurting when she sang or spoke. 

Chloe continued, her voice soft and gentle and hypnotic. “I was being dramatic. You’re right. It’s silly, and I should just have the surgery and be done with it. No one’s going to miss my solos. I can always sing harmony for the rest of you.” Chloe ended with her best reassuring smile. Beca had seen it often when Bellas were trying and failing to nail down a new piece of choreography.

“No!” Beca insisted. “You sing like an angel.” Immediately she felt herself go flush and saw Chloe’s cheeks redden, too. “I mean… I mean… your voice is great. Lovely.  **I’ll** miss your singing. Everyone will, you know?”

Chloe smiled and looked down at her sandwich tearing off a bit of crust and dropping it onto the ground.

Beca cleared her throat. “You’re really talented, and I’m a dick for letting my shitty day get to me and then I treated you like that and you deserve so much better and…” God, she had treated Chloe like Beca’s dad treated Beca. Everything was always about what  **he** thought was important, not anyone else, especially not Beca. She was ashamed, and now she couldn’t stop verbally vomiting all over the place.

Chloe stilled her rambling by squeezing her hand again. “It’s okay, Beca. Thank you.”

“You’ll accept my apology?” Beca thought Chloe had, but she wanted to be clear before she broached the next topic, which she hadn’t even realized she wanted to talk about before Chloe had apologized for the great crime of helping a stubborn idiot learn choreography for an a capella club Beca had voluntarily joined.

“Of course,” Chloe answered grinning.

Beca nodded. Getting Chloe Beale to smile was something she considered a worthy accomplishment.

“And there’s one other thing…” Beca trailed off trying to figure out how to say it, and Chloe waited patiently. Beca wished she could not only be as brave as Chloe, but she wished she could be as good a person as Chloe.

Since she couldn’t figure out what to say, she decided to just go for it. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Chloe who was at first surprised but quickly returned the hug. 

“So… friends hug, right?” Beca asked. She really hoped so, otherwise she really was an idiot.

“Yeah,” Chloe responded. “But only if they’re both okay with it.”

Beca laughed. “Just tell me if I’m all up in your personal space.”

Chloe squeezed her lightly. “No, you’re absolutely fine.”

“Good,” Beca smiled. “I don’t mind hugging. If it’s you. Like... you always have full permission to hug me or help me with any choreography or whatever anytime.” And Beca realized how true that was. She also realized that she just might have a thing for the pretty redhead with the beautiful voice who felt no hesitation breaking into Beca’s shower because she was following the music… just like Beca had always followed the music. She didn’t mind hugging Chloe at all, and she decided then and there she would be the friend Chloe deserved even if feelings were a weird and icky concept overall.

And for the past four years, Beca had mostly succeeded in being that friend. Beca sighed as she fully woke up to an ironically sunny Copenhagen morning while basking in the memory of the first time she had opened up to Chloe. She never regretted it, even if they could never  **ever** be together. She felt Chloe stirring beside her before settling back into a relaxed sleep, and Beca began the process of locking her inappropriate longing for her best friend away where she couldn’t hurt Chloe with her love. 

She didn’t want to ruin Chloe’s life, so she once again hardened her resolve to be the best friend she could be, not the selfish dad-clone she saw whenever she looked in the mirror. She just had to try again to not want more than she deserved. And as she relaxed in Chloe’s embrace and found herself falling asleep again, Beca Mitchell knew with Posen-like certainty that she did not deserve Chloe Beale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have enjoyed the first chapter! Let me know if you see any typos or errors!


	2. The Right Posen for the Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aubrey is helpful.

Aubrey Posen had been called many things in her life: driven, loyal, bitch, stubborn, dedicated, sociopath, various and sundry other epithets. For the most part, she didn’t concern herself with what other people called her, although she herself was partial to terms such as “winner” and “formidable.” To a certain few, she felt lucky to be called “friend.” 

But she highly doubted anyone would ever label her “patient,” despite Aubrey herself feeling that she was an exemplar of that particular virtue. For instance, if only her detractors could witness how patient she was being with Emily at this very moment. That she wasn’t throttling the girl was a testament in and of itself, as Emily just would  **not** stop talking, despite the futility of her attempt to alter Aubrey’s perfectly good plan for dealing with Beca’s unfortunate situation.

“Aubrey, are you even listening to me?” Emily asked, petulance highlighting an unattractive pitch in her voice that the girl should work on eliminating. She stood near the door leading out of the room with hands on her hips, glaring at Aubrey who sat at a small desk in the corner of the room adjusting her makeup.

She was slightly surprised as according to her records, Emily was a fairly pliable, happy girl who just wanted to please others. It appeared another Bella in emotional distress brought out the steel in her spine, which Aubrey appreciated; however, Emily wasn’t captain just yet, and Aubrey would have preferred the girl keep in mind that it was Aubrey who had been putting out Bella fires while Emily’s prepubescent ass was complaining about which juice box she received in her packed lunch.

“Yes, Emily.” Aubrey sighed, cutting her eyes over to give her companion a proper glare. “I am  **definitely** still listening to you recycle the same argument for the… what? Fourth? Fifth time in less than an hour?”

The other girl made a sound akin to a low growl, reminding Aubrey of that feral cat Chloe had once dragged in from the street believing it would make a fine pet. Chloe it seemed had expected Aubrey to see it and… feel something or other towards it. What precisely she was supposed to have felt towards the hateful, flea-infested creature, she wasn’t sure and she had never outright asked, especially after it had managed to destroy her brand new comforter in under half an hour of coexistence.

It was probably unfair to compare Emily to that wayward monstrosity. After all, the cat was simply a dumb creature trying to survive and couldn’t be expected to understand proper etiquette and deference towards those with seniority. 

Regardless, Aubrey determined she would take Emily’s complaints in stride. One must be willing to accept the bad with the good as long as the desired objectives were being accomplished.

That was the secret to a successful life. In the end, people would argue against you and say all manner of things about you. If you let that stop you from getting done what needed to be done—whether it be finding a proper no-kill shelter for the world’s most awful excuse for a cat (because your roommate was ridiculously attached to the little demon) or protecting your emotionally devastated best friend this morning from well-meaning but naive interlopers… Well, no amount of goodwill you generated mattered in the face of success. Being known as a good, well-liked person was life’s participation trophy. 

Aubrey Posen did not believe in participation trophies.

As she half-listened to Emily drone on about hugging it out or some such repulsive idiocy, Aubrey found she stood at a mental crossroads of sorts. Down one path she would carry on smoothing things over as well as possible while Chloe put Beca back together again on her own. Down the other, less certain, path, she could join Beca and Chloe and possibly even bring the other Bellas, and try to help her two best (and only real) friends. Or she might just make it worse. It wasn’t as if she had a great deal of experience or success with relationships. 

As firmly as she’d rejected them, Emily’s pleas to cancel the festivities and encircle Beca with a show of Bella solidarity tempted her greatly. If she was the type to entertain the notion of love towards specific persons, whether it be familial, friendly, romantic, or otherwise, the two girls down the hall had long ago laid claim to all of her heart. Chloe had been there with her through the worst… had saved Aubrey in a very real way when  **everyone** else had abandoned her after the debacle of junior year’s ICCA Finals and the aftermath when the crushing guilt and pain had come as close to defeating her as anything before or since. Suffice to say, she could devote several lifetimes to Chloe and the debt would still be unpaid.

And Beca… well, Beca was a complicated issue. She stormed into Aubrey’s life like the surly kid sister Aubrey had never wanted, all the while enchanting Chloe, who inevitably fell deeply in love with the prickly girl. Anyone who was precious to Chloe was precious to Aubrey as well by default—except that hellish cat. One had to draw the line somewhere. 

Admittedly, there had been a few bumps in the road as she learned to accept Beca. 

Okay, perhaps potholes was the better descriptor, but that had changed when Aubrey finally admitted to herself that Beca had not been plotting an a capella coup d’etat with her attempts to bring a more modern sound to the group. 

They had come so far by the end of Aubrey’s term as captain, she even made amends by handing over the pitch pipe to the grumpy brunette. Thankfully, Beca understood how seriously Aubrey took matters such as the captaincy, and they had found a true kinship with each other. 

Against all odds, the two had managed to grow closer after Aubrey had graduated and thrown herself fully into her career these past three years. Having Chloe in common helped immensely, and Beca even took to Skyping with Aubrey on her own—first to get advice on Bellas-related challenges and then later to simply catch up. Aubrey returned the favor, and soon came to value Beca’s opinion. 

Beca had achieved a rare status in Aubrey’s life, and it was truly wonderful. Really. Except it was difficult enough for her to be emotionally close to one person even if that person was as amazing as Chloe. Adding in a second person…

It wasn’t worth dwelling on truthfully, so she considered the other constant pull at her heart: the Barden Bellas as an institution. The current and former Bellas were congregating in the hotel lobby waiting for a day of companionship and sightseeing to begin. She had texted Stacie to confirm, and was informed that most of them were nibbling at the breakfast offerings the hotel provided. 

This was why Aubrey had settled on a simple, straightforward plan. She and Emily would inform the others that Beca had fallen ill, giving the heartbroken girl enough space to breathe. If the others found out Beca and that twerp had broken things off, they would want to help, and it was too soon for that. An early intervention would be completely counterproductive. With anyone else, it might be the sanest course of action. Beca was not “anyone else” and would panic and flee if they closed in on her all at once. She had form for it. 

This plan also had the benefit of giving Chloe a chance to coax Beca back to a calmer state under the cover of Beca’s fictitious stomach bug. Every Bella knew that if Beca was sick, you would have to physically fight Chloe to make her leave the girl’s side, so there wouldn’t be any questions on that end. It was a perfect plan really, despite Emily’s well-meaning but naive protestations to the contrary. 

Aubrey had intended to take point today anyway, since Chloe and Beca couldn’t be trusted to lead a proper sightseeing tour, even before Beca’s unfortunate “illness.” Most likely the two would have simply made moon eyes at each other as per usual, and then wander off together at every opportunity, forgetting everyone else existed. Really, Aubrey wouldn’t have minded that. In fact, she and Stacie had discussed that possibility, coming to the conclusion that it might push the two into  **finally** admitting their feelings and beginning their deserved happily ever after. Jesse’s stupidity could destroy everything by sending Beca back into the protective shell she had existed in pre-Bellas. His timing was simply egregious. He could at least have waited until they were back in the States to figure out he was a loser who didn’t deserve Beca. But he would pay soon. Oh, would he pay… 

Of course, at the moment she was considering putting him second on the retribution list behind Emily Junk, not because the girl had done anything as heinous as whatever that damned Treblemaker had done to Beca last night, but because she seemed to have a talent for pushing all of Aubrey’s buttons.

And by God, the girl was working Aubrey’s last damn nerve right now.

“I’m just saying,” Emily plowed ahead, unaware of how perilously close she was to sending Aubrey over the edge. “We should be there for Beca. All of us. Don’t you think she’ll tell us if she needs space? It’s not like she’s shy about doing that.” The teenager had liberated a piece of stationery from her nightstand and was idly tearing off strips from the paper while continuing the conversation Aubrey had pointedly been ignoring for over two minutes.

She regretted disregarding Chloe’s complaints over the girl’s missteps the past year. Aubrey had conducted her usual deep background investigations and reference checks with Emily, as was her standard operating procedure when a new Bella was inducted. According to all reports, Emily was pretty and talented and smart, although Aubrey thought perhaps her intelligence had been overestimated. She certainly wasn’t picking up on just how close Aubrey was to shoving her out the window of their sixth floor room.

But that would likely involve police and an inevitable delay to the beginning of the Bellas’ day out. Also, she did feel affection for Emily as a fellow Bella, one who had helped them achieve the pinnacle of a capella success. Really. She did. Even if that affection was rapidly fraying the longer the girl droned on.

Keeping in mind she shouldn’t break the future of the Bellas, Aubrey took a deep, calming breath and spoke through gritted teeth. “Emily, in the year you’ve known Beca have you somehow failed to notice she consistently shuts down and runs away when experiencing emotional crises?”

Emily nodded but also opened her mouth to speak again with an argumentative expression. Aubrey silenced her by holding up a single finger.

“I swear to all the aca-gods above and below, Emily, you will drop this if you know what’s good for you. We’re going with the plan as it stands. You and I will accompany the others around the city while Chloe cares for Beca, who has fallen ill.” She emphasized the word “ill” with finger quotes just to make sure the girl got the point.

“Am I clear?” she asked allowing her tone to slip into what appeared to be a necessary harshness.

Emily jutted out her bottom lip. God, somehow the girl had managed to combine Beca’s cranky intransigence and Chloe’s wide-eyed pouting. Most would give in to the dewy-eyed, earnest teenager. It just made Aubrey want to punch her. Hard. So  **very** hard. Just once. 

Shaking those unworthy thoughts off, Aubrey confirmed she’d gotten the wings of her eyeliner perfectly sharp and symmetrical and stood up from her seat. She turned to face her younger companion and asked, “Do I have to physically restrain you? Again?”

Emily rubbed her sore arm and shook her head. “No. Where did you learn how to do that?” she asked referencing the shoulder lock Aubrey had put the girl in earlier when she’d tried to intrude on Beca and Chloe’s much-needed rest.

“I’m proficient in Krav Maga and Brazilian jiujitsu.”

“I’m… not even sure what those are,” Emily replied.

Aubrey shrugged. “I suggest looking into a good self-defense course then, instead of gushing over a Treble. Especially now that you’ve seen their true colors.”

Emily narrowed her eyes, but wisely kept her pretty mouth shut. Aubrey admired the girl’s spirit and her flash of good sense in not saying anything more. Benji was nice enough in Aubrey’s opinion. In fact, she probably liked him. If Emily was going to date a thrice-damned Treblemaker, she had picked one who might not carve her heart out and put it on a platter to display to the world. Emphasis on “might.”

“Let’s go,” Aubrey said, hoping to derail any more futile arguments. “I’m going to check on Beca and Chloe. You go ahead and let the others know Beca is ill, not that she’s been backstabbed by… that boy. She has an upset stomach if they must know details.” 

Aubrey couldn’t even bring herself to say his name. He was dead, even if he didn’t yet realize it.

“You’re going to their room? And I have to go downstairs?” Emily responded indignantly edging into Aubrey’s personal space. If the girl ever properly learned to use her height to her advantage, she would be a force to be reckoned with. Aubrey decided she would help the girl with that. Later. Not now. At the moment, it was just annoying that Emily was trying to tower over her.

“Yes. We’re already behind schedule, and that is simply unacceptable, Emily.” Aubrey hated leaving before or after a scheduled departure time. It was sloppy, indicating a disappointing character flaw in the individual possessing such a lax attitude towards punctuality.

The two stared at each other in a contest of wills. The child had no idea what she was getting into if she thought  **that** would go in her favor.

After a few moments, Emily flinched. 

“Fine,” she huffed and walked out the door, stomping in the direction of the elevator.

Aubrey watched the girl the others had nicknamed Legacy, until the elevator door closed behind her just in case she decided to try to make a dash for the door as Aubrey entered Beca and Chloe’s room. “Legacy” was a silly nickname, and Aubrey felt it added unnecessary pressure on the only Bella returning next year and thus de facto captain. Aubrey might have felt pity for the girl having to recruit an entirely new crop of Bellas, if that was a thing she ever allowed herself to feel. All pity did was excuse failure.

She quietly slipped into the room where her friends slept. The curtains were open, bathing the room in warm, soft light, but they were still fast asleep—although the precise manner in which they were sleeping was… notable. The two girls were completely intertwined, with Beca positioned mostly on top of Chloe, whose right leg was wedged between Beca’s legs in a completely inappropriate position. Chloe had her left hand tangled in Beca’s hair while the right cradled a healthy amount of Beca’s ass. For her part, Beca had completely buried her face between Chloe’s neck and their shared pillow to the point where you could barely see anything but the back of her head, and she had both arms tightly wrapped around Chloe’s waist.

Aubrey pondered if this was the first time the two had slept together and ended up like this as she fished her phone out of her pocket. She snapped a picture to provide evidence when they inevitably denied their feelings later. 

As Aubrey put her phone back in her pocket, Chloe shifted her leg that was trapped between Beca’s thighs. The action elicited a small moan of pleasure from Beca. Aubrey felt an unwelcome urge swirl in her gut, pushing her to crawl into bed with them. Not only was the momentary desire completely irrational, it also made Aubrey feel disgusted with herself for her lack of propriety. The two were obviously completely in love with each other. She tamped down on her rogue emotions. This wasn’t the first time she had felt… she might as well admit it for what it was… attraction to both girls, but she had a mission. Having a toner for her best friends simply marked another in a long line of personal failures.

With an eyeroll worthy of Beca, Aubrey walked over and sat perched on the foot of the bed. She put on a smile of affection before speaking.

“Wake up, sleepyheads,” she sang to them. Aubrey wondered if her happy tone sounded forced. She hoped she didn’t come across that way, but sometimes people held to the ridiculous notion that she was barely capable of cordiality, let alone cheerfulness. Aubrey would have been very disappointed if her friends believed she didn’t have their best interests at heart. She did. Even if they might upon occasion think her methods were questionable. Which was ludicrous. Her methods got results. Even if through no fault of her own there were one or two mishaps with bear traps.

For a drawn out moment, her two friends stirred against each other. Chloe let out a dreamy sigh, and Aubrey could hear soft but distinct kissing sounds as Beca nuzzled against Chloe’s neck.

“Comfortable?” Aubrey asked before breaking out in laughter, unable to resist teasing.

Registering her presence finally, both girls’ eyes flew open and they began a mad scramble to extricate themselves from each other, bouncing Aubrey from the bed. She harrumphed from her seat on the floor, although she was amused to the point where the annoyance was minimal.

The co-captains sat with a foot of space between them, blushing and smiling at Aubrey as she reseated herself on the bed. She had the distinct impression they somehow thought they were fooling her.

Whatever. Aubrey decided to once again demonstrate her patience as well as employing subtlety, yet another virtue sadly unrecognized in her by most.

“Beca, you’re ill today. You have a stomach virus,” she said. Subtlety was fine but there was no reason to dally.

“What?” Beca responded, blinking. Aubrey was struck by how incredibly cute she was when she first woke up. It didn’t hurt that Beca had the most adorable bedhead Aubrey had ever seen. 

“Oh!” Chloe said in a whisper, catching on. She smiled and Aubrey felt lighter just looking at her friend. Chloe had that effect on everyone, and Aubrey had come to appreciate it over the years.

“Yes,” Aubrey answered. “Unless you want to confess your breakup to the Bellas? I’m sure they would love to comfort you.”

Beca blanched. “No, dude. I don’t think I can handle that level of TLC right now.”

Aubrey nodded. “I suspected that was the case.” She held up a room key and addressed the redhead. “Chloe, why don’t you grab whatever you need from our room? I’ll keep Beca company while you’re gone.”

Chloe sprang at Aubrey, enveloping her in a hug. Even after all the years she had known and loved Chloe, she was still somehow surprised when the girl ambushed her with physical affection.

“Thanks, Bree!” Chloe said releasing her grip from Aubrey’s neck. “I’ll brb!”

She snatched the room key from Aubrey’s hand and blew a kiss to her two friends as she exited the room. 

It had been a long time since Aubrey and Beca had been in a one-on-one situation. In fact, the last time was a very testy encounter near the end of Beca’s freshman year, unless one counted Skype or a phone conversation. Aubrey didn’t. She could tell from Beca’s immediate tensing that she didn’t either and must be still holding onto that argument, although Aubrey had thought it resolved as a positive for both of them. 

Perhaps she should have made an effort to spend time with Beca, just the two of them. She made a mental note to correct that error in the future, if Beca was willing.

“If you would rather have a moment alone, Beca, I can go with Chloe…” Aubrey offered hesitantly. She was disappointed with herself that the hurt in her voice was clear. This was a time for Beca to have whatever she needed, not for Aubrey to indulge petty selfishness.

“Huh?” Beca looked at her, startled. “No, dude, I’m really happy you’re here. It’s just that… I’m used to having Chloe around is all. Sometimes it’s a bit weird when she leaves the room. Feels a bit… empty?” 

The last part came out as a question despite Aubrey feeling Beca hadn’t intended it that way. Of course, it provided Aubrey with the perfect opening to lay groundwork for the plan she had been forming, and she decided to reward herself by not resenting the warmth that spread through her body all the way to her fingertips because Beca did in fact want her there.

“Yes, whenever she leaves a room, something does feel off,” Aubrey answered, carefully adding a hint of sadness to show Beca she understood. It didn’t hurt that it was the truth. “She’s quite special, isn’t she?”

Beca nodded absentmindedly, so Aubrey continued.

“I find when I don’t see her for an extended period of time, it becomes almost unbearable.” Aubrey felt proud at how she was steering the conversation so expertly. All those people that doubted her ability to relate to others could suck it, as Beca might say. The girl did possess the ability to turn a phrase.

Beca blinked at her. “Yeah. You feel that way?”

Aubrey smiled wistfully (another perfect touch!) and nodded. 

“Yes, I miss Chloe all the time. It’s hard being away from her.” Inwardly, she high-fived her imaginary self as Beca surely would connect the dots soon, understanding that Beca’s plans to move to LA would put far too much distance between her and Chloe.

“But… she visits you sometimes on weekends and you talk all the time…” Beca said, confusion playing across her face.

Damn. Aubrey needed to be careful or her plan might be found out. 

“Well, yes, but Skype just isn’t the same, and we see each other maybe three or four times a year.” Aubrey’s face fell a bit, although she didn’t want to appear too sad. That would be unbecoming. “I feel lost sometimes without her.”

Beca looked uncomfortable, clearly not knowing what to say. That wasn’t what Aubrey had intended. Making the brunette feel as if she had to be the one offering comfort was the opposite of what Aubrey wanted.

“I’m being silly,” she began, when Beca interrupted.

“Aubrey, It’s okay for you to feel stuff, you know? Like to miss your best friend and want to see her more. And, yeah, I do get how ironic relationship advice is coming from me.” Beca said with a wry smirk.

Actually, Aubrey did  **not** think it was okay at all for her to feel some of the things she had been experiencing… or at least she didn’t like those feelings, but that was of no consequence at the moment. She didn’t know how much longer Chloe would be gone, and there was the mission. Time to accelerate towards the goal.

“I’m thinking of moving back. For a while at least.” She paused to register the surprise on Beca’s face, allowing the younger girl to take in how important it was to be near Chloe. “Not long term, but I do miss Chloe… and you,” she added hastily, suddenly realizing it was very important that Beca know she was important to Aubrey, too, and not feel second best. That was the worst feeling ever.

Beca looked confused. Aubrey imagined this outburst of unexpected sentimentality on her part would take some adjustment time, but Beca would figure out soon what Aubrey meant: Life away from Chloe was an empty prospect.

“Yeah, I miss you, too,” Beca said slowly. “But you’re right.” She paused, and Aubrey could see her physically gather herself to speak again. “Chlo is really special to you, isn’t she?”

“Definitely,” Aubrey agreed. “And you are as well.”

“Yeah, but… she was there for you during some rough times. I get that.”

Ah, yes. The wretched event immortalized on Youtube as “puke-gate.” It was true that Chloe had been the only person she could rely on before Beca brute-forced her way into that small circle.

Aubrey shifted the subject slightly. She almost had Beca where she wanted her now that she understood that being near Chloe was an honor. Now, she just had to emphasize the other major benefit.

“She was, and I’m glad she can be here for you now,” Aubrey said.

Beca nodded. “She’s a really great friend.”

This was the tricky part. If she outright stated that Chloe was a great friend, but Beca should consider how amazing Chloe would be as much more than a friend, then Beca would shut down. Again. That wouldn’t do. Subtlety had served her well so far in this conversation, and she would rely on it still. With that in mind, she began weaving the final parts of her web.

“She’s the best friend anyone could ask for, but it’s more than just that. She’s warm and caring and kind and she just… makes me happy without even trying.” Aubrey paused meaningfully. “Do you know what I mean?”

Beca was staring at Aubrey intently, leading her to believe the younger girl did get her point. Aubrey was thrilled she had pulled this off… not that she had doubted her ability to do so for an instant.

“I do,” Beca said, her voice slightly unsteady. “She makes people feel incredible, right?”

Aubrey nodded. That was as close as she was likely to get to Beca admitting that Chloe made Beca feel incredible, too, so Aubrey decided to not push her luck. There was plenty of time to continue to work her magic until Beca was ready to admit she returned Chloe’s feelings.

“Well…” Aubrey said, slightly choked up. She felt a bit giddy to be honest. Soon, Beca and Chloe would have their happily ever after! “Any more gushing from me, and you’ll start thinking I’ve gone soft.”

Beca snorted. “No chance, Posen. You’re OG hardcore.”

Aubrey wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but it did sound like a compliment. She would look it up online later at that urban dictionary thing Chloe had helpfully pointed her towards last summer when Aubrey expressed despair over never understanding half of what Beca said during their weekly Skype appointments.

“Thanks, Becs,” she replied. “I know you wouldn’t say that if you didn’t mean it.” It was time to dial it back a bit before she became too obvious in her intentions. 

Aubrey cleared her throat and said, “You seem like you’re feeling better.”

Beca gave her the first genuinely happy smile Aubrey had seen since before that idiot had done his post-finals Tonya Harding imitation on Beca’s emotional kneecap. Seeing Beca smile and knowing she had something to do with it meant the world to her and brightened her own spirits considerably.

“Yeah,” the brunette replied, shrugging. “It like hits me in waves. I think I kinda cried myself out last night. I hope I did anyway. Crying sucks, dude.”

Aubrey nodded, and decided a change of subject was in order before one of those aforementioned waves hit Beca.

“Would you like any souvenirs, Beca? I can pick you up something!” she offered brightly. It wasn’t fair that neither Beca nor Chloe could accompany the others, but judging from how this had gone, Aubrey’s plan was the correct one. She couldn’t wait to rub that in Legacy’s snotty face.

“I wouldn’t even know what to ask for,” Beca said with a laugh.

It was at that point that Chloe returned looking refreshed, dressed in a pink blouse and jeans with her damp hair pulled into a ponytail. She must have taken a quick shower. Aubrey decided to make her exit. The plan wouldn’t work if she was stuck in the middle distracting them from each other.

“Feel better, Beca,” Aubrey said with a short squeeze of her friend’s hand before standing. No use spooking the poor girl with something as crass as the hug she wanted to give. “But it’s okay if it takes time. Chloe and I are here for you, and when you’re ready, the Bellas will be, too.”

For the second time in a few short minutes, Aubrey was ambushed with sudden physical affection as Beca stood wrapping her in a tight hug. She wasn’t sure what it said about her that she had begun to feel somewhat eager for these moments with Chloe and Beca, but she was sure it couldn’t be anything good. That could be examined and dismantled later, though.

For now, she simply smiled. 

Beca tightened the hug and spoke softly. “Thanks, Bree, for being here for me. I don’t think I would have made it through last night without the two of you.”

Aubrey’s reply was an undignified squeak. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I’ll always be here for you, Beca.” 

She sniffed back a tear, wondering if she could pass it off as allergies, when she realized she was gently stroking Beca’s hair. Mortified, she gave the younger girl a final squeeze and pulled back.

It was Beca’s turn to clear her throat. Strangely, Aubrey felt it was nice to not be alone in discomfort with such displays.

“Okay,” she said. “I’ve kept the others waiting long enough.” She gave Beca one last smile and a nod before turning to Chloe to say goodbye. 

The redhead looked a bit stunned, which Aubrey didn’t find surprising, considering most people would have bet everything against Beca Mitchell and Aubrey Posen being so wantonly emotional.

“Aubrey,” Chloe said hesitantly. “Mind if I walk you to the elevator?”

The blonde smiled warmly. “Of course not!” 

Phase 1A: Operation Prickly Pear was a resounding success, and this would be a good opportunity to get Phase 1B: Operation Ginger Sunshine off to a flying start. She would use this chance to make Chloe face the fact that Beca might not be hanging around forever, and Chloe needed to get her butt in gear after four years of dragging her feet.

Aubrey gave a wave to Beca as she left. The brunette’s expression was pensive as she waved back. Beca’s mood appeared to be souring, so Aubrey decided she shouldn’t keep Chloe away from her for long.

Once outside, Chloe began lightly rubbing Aubrey’s shoulder before the blonde had a chance to speak.

“You doing okay, Bree? You seem a bit shaken.” she asked, concern heavy in her voice.

“Of course, Chlo!” Aubrey answered. “I’m sorry if I’ve upset you.” Truthfully, she  **was** a bit shaken. It was hard seeing Beca hurt so badly, and it had made her a bit overly emotional. Perhaps she was overdoing the overt displays of concern, though.. 

Chloe raised an eyebrow, and they began walking towards the elevators. “Why would I be upset with you?”

Aubrey shrugged. 

Chloe stopped and turned to face her. “Is it…”

“No,” Aubrey cut her off. “That’s in the past.”

Chloe looked like she wanted to continue that line of inquiry. Aubrey desperately hoped she wouldn’t, and was relieved when Chloe gave her a nod and resumed walking to the elevators.

“Okay, Bree, so why would I be upset with you?”

“Because Beca’s the one that’s had the awful night, and now I feel like I’m… and all the hugging and… well…” She wasn’t sure how to proceed so she just waved her hands in front of herself and realized she was doing a passable imitation of their DJ friend.

Chloe chuckled. “It’s fine, Bree, and yeah, Beca’s had a bad night, but we’re both here for her. She doesn’t stand a chance if she thinks she gets to mope for too long. No bad mood can stand up to us aca-bitches. And for about the millionth time, it’s okay to hug a friend. We hug all the time, don’t we?” She gave Aubrey an exaggerated wink.

The blonde nodded in agreement. “Beca said something similar.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, I was talking about how much I miss the two of you, and there’s something you should know, Chloe…” She trailed off, unsure as to why she was suddenly nervous. 

Her plan was solid, so she had no good reason to feel this unsettled, except for the nagging doubt in the back of her mind that Chloe might not appreciate the intrusion on her “Beca Time” if Aubrey moved back.

Standing at the elevator, Chloe turned towards her friend instead of pushing the button. Aubrey was only slightly agitated to stand at an elevator with the button unpushed. She gripped the fabric of her jeans to prevent her hands from twitching towards the button.

“Bree, something’s wrong. Talk to me.”

Aubrey looked down at her feet and shrugged. Evidently, Beca had rubbed off on her more than she might care to admit. “I told Beca that I’m thinking of moving back for a while. I miss the two of you, and with her leaving for LA soon, I… well…”

“She didn’t tell you her news?”

“Tell me what news?” Aubrey asked, puzzled.

“She’s staying to continue her internship, and they’ve told her they would like her to consider a full-time position. She’s going to stay in Atlanta… for the medium term at least.” Chloe smiled, obviously happy with Beca’s decision.

Aubrey’s heart soared. lt wasn’t a lie that she was unhappy about Beca moving across the country, and now her mission was even easier.

“That’s wonderful!” she exclaimed. 

“I know, right?” Chloe said beaming. 

“I’m so stupid. I didn’t actually ask about the move to LA or how her internship was going. I let myself get distracted with my own news.”

This was an exciting turn of events, and Aubrey believed this was her best chance to help her friends come to terms with their feelings. Chloe had only admitted once to Aubrey that she had fallen in love with Beca, in a state of absolute despair after Beca had kissed that Treble after winning their first national finals, but Aubrey was very aware the redhead’s love hadn’t faded. 

Knowing her best friend, Aubrey decided she had to push a bit, or Chloe would hesitate and another grinning buffoon would sweep Beca off her feet. Again. The brunette was unnervingly attractive even if she didn’t realize it. Someone would move in on her if Chloe didn’t.

“Bree, you’re being a bit hard on yourself, don’t you think?” Chloe asked, her voice heavy with concern.

“I mean… do you think…” Aubrey began, unsure how to broach the idea that Chloe might feel like she was being clingy. “Will Beca resent me for moving back?” Aubrey had meant to ask if  **Chloe** would resent her moving back and being in the way, but somehow it had come out in reverse.

“What?” Now both of Chloe’s eyebrows were raised so high they might climb off her face.

Aubrey had no choice but to go with it and try to push the conversation back to where she needed it to go.

“It’s just that this is obviously a hard time for her, and I know she trusts you and values you and you’ll comfort her…” Aubrey was annoyed at herself for bungling this so badly. All she wanted to do was make Chloe realize how valuable spending time with Beca was and how privileged Chloe was to have that. “I might just be a third wheel. Come between the two of you, that is.” 

She crossed her arms, hoping to just fold in on herself to save further embarrassment. Chloe had always had some weird power over her that seemed to force her to reveal more of what she was really feeling than she liked. The admission that she feared being an intruder in their relationship made her blush. It was very unlike her to worry about whether the person she was helping wanted the help or not. 

Chloe rubbed Aubrey’s upper arm with her left hand and raised Aubrey’s chin to meet her eyes with her other hand.

“Bree, you are never in the way. We are so lucky to have you.”

“Do you think Beca thinks that?” Aubrey was again surprised at her own question.

Chloe smiled, though. “Of course. It’s not like she’s getting rid of us anyway.”

They both laughed, and Aubrey leaned her forehead against Chloe’s. She already felt better, but realized she still hadn’t gotten this back on track.

She stood straight and breathed deeply.

“Very true. And we’ll have to be there because all the other aca-idiots will be flocking to her… the undeserving louts.” There was bitterness in her voice, but that was fine. It added to the effect.

Chloe seemed a bit unsure now. “You still feel that way, Bree? I’m not sure this is a matter of a capella cross-pollination.”

“Chlo, did you see what that… that… that fucking Treble did to her?” Aubrey could feel the outrage bleeding into her voice.

“Yes, Bree, I did.” Chloe’s voice also had a harsh edge to it as well, daring Aubrey to challenge her. “I  **was** the one that stayed with her last night.”

“I’m sorry, Chlo. I didn’t mean to imply… I’m not even sure.” She ran her hand through her hair and let out a ragged breath. “Will you forgive me?” 

This was harder than it had been with Beca. Aubrey might not have known Beca as well as she did Chloe, but the two had similar styles of communication, or lack thereof, when it came to feelings. Chloe’s ability to get to the emotional heart of a situation brought something unique and important to Aubrey’s life, but it made it regrettably difficult to rely on the power of suggestion with her.

Chloe smiled, her blue eyes sparkling. Aubrey was always shocked at how easy it was to underestimate just how beautiful the redhead was. She was barely aware that Chloe had pulled her into another tight embrace until it had happened.

“There’s nothing to forgive, Bree.” Chloe said before she released the blonde and pushed the button calling the elevator. 

Aubrey didn’t have long.

“She’s lucky to have you!” she blurted out. “I mean I’m glad you could be there for her. I… don’t think that I could… You’re really good for her. She needs  **you**.” 

God, she sounded like an idiot. That hyperactive child, Emily, would have been smoother than this. She hoped she didn’t sound jealous of what her two friends shared. Because she wasn’t. At all. She was struck by sudden frustration at not being able to just shout at Beca and Chloe until they got on with the kissing and the sex or whatever it was they needed to do. 

“Thanks, Bree,” Chloe said, smiling gently, which immediately soothed the blonde. “I’m going to get her through this, and before you know it she’ll be back out there. She’s too special to just give up after one bad experience. And it’s not just me, right? You’ll be there for her, too. That’s why you’re coming back.”

Aubrey nodded. “And because I miss both of you so much.” God, this was humiliating, but worth it if it worked. “And we do need to protect her until she’s ready to put herself out there again, fending off greasy aca-boys… or maybe she’ll find a nice aca-girl instead. Who knows?” She punctuated the question with a shrug. 

Chloe’s eyes narrowed, and Aubrey worried she was too obviously pushing. This would have been easier if Chloe had never sworn Aubrey to silence on the subject of Chloe’s love for Beca. But vows were serious business. Now the wheels were in motion and Chloe would realize that others would try to move in on her territory. And Aubrey would be there to crush any enemies. Chloe was lovely, but soft-hearted, and might be swayed to let Beca fall into some fool’s clutches.

“Okay,” Chloe said slowly. “It’s her decision when she wants to date again and who she wants to date for that matter, but we can definitely be there to support her.”

Aubrey nodded as the elevator door opened. “Good,” she replied. “Of course it’s her decision, but maybe she should consider  **all** her options before diving back into the pool?” 

She was feeling giddy again. This subtlety thing was much easier than people indicated.

“I’m not sure what you mean by ‘options.’” Chloe said, holding the door open. She looked worried.

The blonde shrugged. “She might not realize what all her options are, or who her options include. I suppose that’s the best way to put it.”

Chloe cocked her head at Aubrey. “Yeah, maybe. Just concentrate on having fun today, okay? You’re sure you don’t need us to come along?”

She wasn’t sure why Chloe was worried about that, since Aubrey was excellent at organizing appropriate tour activities, but there wasn’t time to consider. The door would start buzzing soon and even though she would rather die than say it, that sound made her feel like she might have a panic attack.

“Of course not!” she answered. “I’ll miss both of you, but we’ll have karaoke with the girls tonight, unless Beca isn’t up to it.” 

She nudged Chloe’s hand off the door and the elevator closed just as the alarm began sounding. That portion of the morning conversation hadn’t gone as smoothly as the preceding one, but she believed she’d at least managed to get her message across.

Her good mood lasted until the elevator doors opened to the lobby. The current class of Bellas were gathered closely together, with one Emily Junk at the center of the huddle, and the concerned looks on all of their faces told Aubrey all she needed to know. Glancing around, it appeared that at least the older Bella alums weren’t in on the drama. 

That small positive did not improve her mood. Not. One. Bit.

Anger flashing in her eyes, she strode across the lobby. The Bellas had the good sense to look afraid, especially the little rat that couldn’t seem to keep her mouth shut for fifteen minutes.

The girls gave mumbled, hesitant greetings that Aubrey decided it was best to ignore. 

“I can see that you are all aware of the situation,” she said, her voice cracking due to anger. “If anyone has objections to my plan, which I’m assuming you are also aware of now, let’s hear them.” Before anyone could reply, she turned her focus to the Emily. “Except you. I’ll get to you in a minute.”

Legacy gulped and her eyes started flicking back and forth, looking for what Aubrey assumed was a path to a quick exit. That was fine. If she had to chase her down, that would serve as a good warmup.

Aubrey surveyed the other Bellas, any protestations they might have dying on their lips. The last time she had been this angry had involved a literal physical fight with Chloe, and Lily making puke-angels on the floor.

She closed her eyes and tried to still her shaking hands.

“You okay, Cap?” Amy asked hesitantly.

“No, Amy, I’m not.” Opening her eyes, she turned to face the youngest Bella. “Emily, I’m sure you’re used to the laid back, relaxed environment that Beca and Chloe have fostered, but this is a perfect example of why running a tight ship is essential.”

Emily chuckled as if Aubrey was exaggerating, but noticed that none of the others contradicted Aubrey.

“Wait, you’re serious? That was relaxed?” Emily asked, disbelief painted across her face.

Cynthia Rose gave a short, harsh laugh. “Girl, you don’t even know.”

“Thank you, Cynthia Rose,” Aubrey said grateful for the confirmation. “Legacy, I’m not going to mince words. In the past, I’ve often resorted to elaborate yet memorable imagery to get my points across.”

The Bellas vigorously nodded at that. 

Aubrey lowered her voice, reinforcing her words. “If I  **ever** tell you not to say something and you immediately go behind my back…” 

Legacy unwisely interrupted her at that moment. “Aubrey, I tried, but I’m not a good liar!”

Aubrey put a gentle finger to the girl’s lips, shushing her. “Shut. Up.” She paused to make sure that no one else was stupid enough to interject. “As I was saying, if you ever betray me like that again, I won’t enact some elaborate scheme. I won’t even raise my voice.

“What I will do is drag you into the nearest alley and fucking murder you. Do we understand each other?”

Emily turned a sickly pale. The others, with the exception of Stacie, cast worried looks at Legacy. Stacie smirked at the girl. At least Aubrey had one ally among these well-meaning misfits.

Aubrey didn’t wait for any further replies from any of them, though, and called all the Bellas, including the alums, to attention.

“Okay, everyone! Sorry for the delay, but we’re ready to get started!” She said with her winningest smile. The rest of today would go well, or heads would roll. And then tonight, karaoke with just the current Bellas and herself, assuming she was invited. She would check with Beca and Chloe to see if she had overstepped by including herself in the karaoke plans. She hoped she would be welcome to accompany the current crew and not be considered an interloper. Either way, everything was going to work out.

Today and tonight would be about having fun, maybe even relaxing. And starting tomorrow, she was going to aca-matchmake the fuck out of her two best friends whether they wanted it or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so unconvinced this chapter is good. My beta reader says it is, but I've actually been holding off posting this for a week because I'm so unsure of it. Let me know if you think it needs a major reworking.
> 
> Anyway, Aubrey is an intensely interesting character to me. She's also a very complicated person, and I really enjoy writing her! I think of her as similar to a benevolent version of President Snow.
> 
> See everyone soon with Chapter 3 aka the inevitable karaoke chapter we must all include!


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